FEEDING THERAPY
What is THe Feeding Clinic?
Feeding therapy is a collaborative, whole-child approach where trained therapists help children develop the sensory, emotional, & physical skills needed for safe, successful, & less stressful eating experiences. Our feeding clinic helps families eliminate stress from mealtimes and feedings while reaching goals through collaboration! We want to empower you to thrive—not just survive. We have a team of trained occupational therapists and speech language pathologists that are ready to provide help with any feeding difficulties your child is facing!
when to ask for a feeding referral
A Speech Therapist can help if
your child:
- Has difficulties at breast or bottle
- Takes more than 30 minutes to complete a meal
- Feeds or drinks with coughing, choking, gagging, wet/vocal quality, etc.
- Drools excessively
- Has a limited feeding repertoire
- Experiences difficulty drinking from a straw cup by 12 months or an open cup by 18 months
- Demonstrates avoidant behaviors toward meals or mealtimes
- Has noisy breathing
- Has poor weight gain
- Unable to bite off foods or self-feed
An Occupational Therapist can help if your child:
- Struggles sitting at table or in the high chair
- Refuses certain foods or textures
- Refuses to self-feed
- Has a limited food repertoire
- Has meltdowns around mealtimes
- Demonstrates an inability to engage in messy play; always wants to be clean
- Only drinks certain liquids from a certain container
- Does not accept visual changes to preferred foods (example: will not eat a cereal bar if it is broken)
- Experiences excessively poor mental flexibility around mealtimes
Meet the feeding Team
Specially trained Speech Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists work with children of all ages to help them chew and swallow safely, expand their diets for weight gain and growth, and experience successful mealtimes with family and friends. Our therapists’ compassionate, individualized approach combines clinical expertise with a deep understanding of each child’s unique needs.
Speech Language Pathologists
Our feeding team SLPs team are experts at the anatomy of the mouth, throat, and larynx (windpipe). Their goal in feeding therapy is to help children develop the motor skills needed to achieve safe and effective feeding.
Occupational Therapists
Our feeding team OTs are nervous system experts! They find fun and creative ways to help your child achieve the full body skills necessary to be successful feeders at any age.
Helping your child feel confident with feeding starts with the right support. Our team takes a personalized, play-based approach to build skills, reduce stress, and create more positive mealtime experiences for the whole family. If you’re ready to take the next step, we’re here to help! Call 859-353-3666 to get started.
